1. Technical Field
The present application relates in general to a core member for a structural assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Composite structures, such as composite sandwich structures, are often used because of their high strength-to-weight ratio. Such structures are frequently used in the manufacture of aircraft, such as airplanes, helicopters, and the like. Composite sandwich structures typically include an upper skin, a lower skin, and a core adhesively bonded between the upper skin and the lower skin. The upper and lower skins can be made of a composite material, such as carbon, graphite, glass fibers, or the like disposed in a polymeric matrix, such as epoxy, polyetheretherketone, or the like. The core often comprises a honeycomb structure made from resin-infused fiber.
The use of conventional sandwich structures, however, is limited in some applications because the core of the sandwich structure fails to provide substantive mechanical strength in some configurations. For example, conventional core includes cell members which are normal to the skin members. Such a configuration can be less than ideal because the cell direction does not always provide the desired strength and stiffness in the loading directions. In other words, there is a need for a core member that can be optimized for directional strength and stiffness.
There are many cores well known in the art for use in composite sandwich structures; however, considerable room for improvement remains.